Friday, June 24, 2011

Jump Down the Rabbit Hole...A Mad Tea Party with 58 Cherries!

It all started one late afternoon when I decided to laze about outdoors with a quilt and a few old books... I read in the sun until the shade of the big tree drifted closer and led me to put my book aside and close my eyes for just for a moment and daydream.

When I opened my eyes again I found all my books picked up and stacked at my feet. On top was a delicate little turquoise and white plate with a tiny white cake!

We've all heard of how interesting adventures can begin with tiny little cakes, haven't we? Well, this one didn't say Eat Me, so I hoped it wouldn't make me grow too tall, but at the same time I couldn't resist the temptation. I decided to take a bite and see...

It was a delicious petit four with vanilla cake and a hard shell of frosting with a delicious orange cream filling inside. Nothing seemed to happen at first until I put the cake down and suddenly I noticed a white rabbit beside the plate!I felt my eyes grown heavy and I rubbed at them, not wanting to fall asleep and miss anything, but when I blinked my eyes clear I found myself somewhere else entirely!!

I was in a big room with large bright windows and a table laid out with an elaborate tea! The chairs were all different, some formal, some padded and I decided to tiptoe closer for a look.

What a beautiful and strange tea service, indeed! So many teapots and cups already filled with tea and just look at all the plates full of goodies laid out!I remembered the last two times I'd had the privilege to join just such a tea party so I hurried forward to take in all the wondrous sights before they disappeared!

There were petit fours, jam jewels, lace cookies with chocolate filling, shortbread with raspberry or apricot jam and so many more!

I saw the armies of chessmen again and a squirrel behind them seemed to be about to drop something into a tea cup. The chessmen were arguing again about whose turn at the cherry it was, but I was more concerned about the large green berry or nut the squirrel was going to toss in, should I try to stop him?

Then I noticed the tiny green boat with the pretty little lady rabbit in it - she seemed unconcerned about what was going on so I decided not to interrupt...

In the center of the table were two teapots on a heavy glass pedestal. I looked closer and saw three little mice sitting at a little bowl of cream. They nodded in greeting, but were too busy dunk little crumbs of cookies to pay anymore attention to me...I turned away and glanced down to see more guests at the table below. I was so happy to see that both Gnomes had turned up for the party as well...

They seemed to have brought their own drinks and a big (to them anyway) watermelon to share. They smiled and nodded to great me and I took a cup of tea and a plate of cookies to join in...

I heard a squeak and looked down to see that the dormouse was nibbling at his own jam jewel and had stopped to great me.

He'd already eaten nearly half of it and I offered him a small cup of tea.There was a tower of small tea cups halfway across the table. I admired the plate beside them full of more goodies to eat. There were cherries and vanilla cookies with dark chocolate and crushed pecans sprinkled on top."Better hurry up," a tiny voice said nearby. I looked and saw a little mouse in an apron with a dustpan and broom. She was sweeping up the crumbs from around the table into her little pan.

Just as I realized my time may be coming to an end I felt my eyes growing heavy, blinking sleepily with my tummy full of cookies, cake and tea. I felt something tingle - a hint of magic, perhaps? And when I opened my eyes I saw all the food and all the cups that had held tea were gone from the table...

And what was this? A tiny little old bottle by the little brown rabbit washing his face...

Well we all know that if you eat the little cake...you drink from the little bottle as well. So I took a sip...And found myself back where I started, lying in the shade with my book of Grimm's Fairy tales open again!! No hint of a crumb of cake...

Was it all a dream? I don't know, but I can't leave my guests without a gift - now can I? So I made something special - a very Alice in Wonderland gift!!

Four pages from a VERY OLD French book - and on each one? A favorite image from Alice in Wonderland!!

These would look lovely framed together in a grouping, wouldn't they?

There are two Alice figures - one with the Cheshire Cat grinning down at Alice below. One White Rabbit in full herald costume and the King of Hearts - speckles, wig and crown! These images are from the 1865 Illustrations by John Tenniel.

Here's a closeup of one of the Alice images...

I'm hoping someone will want these for their own. I love the old vintage feel of them - these are old yellowed pages from a book 'Memoires d'un Royaliste 1851'.

So if you've enjoyed our little dream and like the gift you see - please, please do comment here!! I will pick one name from a hat on Friday, July 8th. That way everyone has plenty of time to visit (especially since there is a big holiday the weekend before) and hopefully everyone who wishes to enter can do so by then.

Thank you for visiting us here!! Now off I go to hop and skip along the other parties... Have a great weekend!!

**Important Update** If you are having problems posting comments via blogger - you are not alone. I've had a heck of a time posting comments on some blogspot blogs so if you are wondering why I don't comment that might be why. Also - if you want to post a comment and find you can't you can email it to me at: bookluv AT gmail DOT com (spelled out to avoid spam, sorry). I will then add your name to the hat for the giveaway and also post your comment here, too. Sorry it is such a hassle, but at least there are ways around it. *******

Well...considering it is after midnight in New York and on the eastern seaboard...I guess it is Friday there...so why not enter in with the midnight fun?I like all of your sweet bunnies, and the gnomes, and all of the goodies.Please enter me in your giveaway, and come on over to my blog too!Teresa in CA

What a lovely party! So enamored with the shoes(a darling pair!)...and all the little details! Congratulations on your tea party! All the sweets are already giving me a toothache...off to the party hop!<3 K

Hello, Miss 58 Cherries! Your party was delightful! I loved getting a peek at all your little visitors, and the goodies were divine. Very nice pages with the Alice images on them, too, I might add. : )

I had such a nice time at your party. Your table of goodies were a delight and the company devine. The pages you are so generous to give away are beautiful. Would love so much to win them. Have a wonderful day! Twyla

What an enchanting dream! Really lovely, and I had fun looking at all the teapots too (I collect them, hehe)...Please do throw my name in the hat for your drawing!! I adore Wonderland and paint it often myself.

And do drop by my party if you get the chance - there's a little painting giveaway. :)

I can't tell you how badly I want a piece of white cake now! The bunnies and mice and chessmen were all such fun. I hope it's alright that I, a guy, came and joined along. How could anyone resist a tea party like this one?!

Treasures indeed - you have so many of them in this post. I enjoyed my stay and would of course - like everyone else love to win. Drop by my blog for a change for a prize as well.Tabithahttp://pabkins.blogspot.com/2011/06/mad-tea-party-my-wonderland-wedding.html

You have created a real enchanting story! Thank you so much.I love all the details, the Beatrix Potter ceramics and ..oh my...how I love the little gnomes!

I wish I could have bitten in this delicious white cake too.Thank you for the magic.

Papillon Bleu UK He!he!he!

This is such a funny comment Catherine!The dolls' houses I build are actually 1/6th scale. My dolls being taller that 1/12th, I design everything in a bigger scale. I have seen some very old dolls' houses at the same scale and fell utterly in love with them. Since then, it has been an obsession. Probably because of the challenge it represents. Hence the constant mix and match with 1/12scale and other objects.Do you feel reassured now? It was such fun to put Lotte in the house and she didn't want to get out of it. She even asked me to put water in the little cup so she could really drink.

Such a wonderful and magical to-do, thank you for inviting me over to share your tea and enchantment! I do so love the gift you've offered up, how divine! And, I must say of all the treasures and guests, the gnome couple just tickled me most!

What a lovely tale and so many fanciful characters and creatures I would love to meet. I am glad I did not have to clean up after them tho, seeing as I am so late.Please enter my name in your drawing as I would be happy to hang those pages on my wall.If you have not yet been to visit, my party is http://dogsmom.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/dreaming-madly-of-tea/